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Borneo Post
27-05-2025
- General
- Borneo Post
Captive-bred green peafowls naturally reproduce in China
A captive-bred green peafowl is seen at the Weishan Qinghua green peafowl provincial nature reserve in the Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Dali, southwest China's Yunnan Province, May 20, 2025.(Xinhua/Hu Chao) KUNMING (May 28): Four green peafowl chicks were recently hatched naturally in a wild training base in southwest China's Yunnan Province, marking the first successful natural breeding of the captive-bred species in a simulated wild environment and major progress in the country's rewilding efforts for the rare birds. The young birds were discovered in mid-May via camera surveillance at the training base located at the Weishan Qinghua green peafowl provincial nature reserve in the Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Dali. The base was co-founded by the nature reserve, the Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Yunnan Forest Nature Center (YFNC), with a focus on wild training of captive-bred green peafowls. Currently, 11 birds are receiving wild training at the base. May 22 marks International Day for Biological Diversity. Yang Jiawei, an official at the reserve, said captive-bred green peafowls are trained in simulated wild conditions to master survival skills like foraging, predator avoidance and reproduction before they are released into the wild. An aerial drone photo taken on May 20, 2025 shows the Weishan Qinghua green peafowl provincial nature reserve in the Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Dali, southwest China's Yunnan Province.(Xinhua/Hu Chao) 'Naturally hatched chicks adapt better in the wild, increasing the release success rates,' Yang said. He added that, in the next step, the base will assess the peafowls' survival skills and release those qualified into the wild with trackers for monitoring, providing technical support for China's conservation efforts. Lu Lin, who is in charge of wildlife rescue and breeding at the YFNC, said that in 2024, the center in the provincial capital Kunming successfully bred 48 chicks, with the hatching rate surging to 73.85 percent, up from 15 percent three years prior. As of May 22, 12 chicks have hatched from 68 eggs laid this year, with more expected soon. The entire hatching process will be completed within two months. The green peafowl, China's only native peafowl species, is classified as 'endangered' on the IUCN Red List, with a higher extinction risk than giant pandas. A captive-bred green peafowl is seen at the Weishan Qinghua green peafowl provincial nature reserve in the Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Dali, southwest China's Yunnan Province, May 20, 2025.(Xinhua/Hu Chao) With the continuous ecological conservation efforts in China, endangered wild animal species, including the green peafowl, have seen a rise in their populations. In Yunnan, multiple nature reserves have been established in green peafowl habitats, with 48.1 million yuan (about 6.7 million U.S. dollars) spent on conservation projects like population monitoring and habitat improvement as of 2024, said Li Peng, an official in charge of wildlife protection from the provincial forestry and grassland bureau. Thanks to these efforts, the population of wild green peafowls has risen from less than 500 in 2016 to about 850 today. – Xinhua Green peafowl chicks are seen at the Yunnan Forest Nature Center in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, May 19, 2025.(Xinhua/Hu Chao) animal species China fauna peafowl
Borneo Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
China Travel thrives on policy-driven convenience
A descendant (R) of local horse train operators bids farewell to a foreign tourist at Sideng Village of Shaxi Town, Jianchuan County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) BEIJING (May 20): China's inbound tourism has continued to gain momentum as the country further strengthened policy support to attract more international tourists by easing access and improving their overall travel experience. More foreign visitors are choosing to head for destinations beyond the country's major cities, attracted by opportunities to experience unique cultural experiences or stock up on Chinese specialties like digital products and collectibles, guest speakers told the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency. Official data showed that China's inbound tourist arrivals soared 60.8 percent year on year to 132 million in 2024, which is about 97.2 percent of the 2019 level. These tourists spent a total of 94.2 billion U.S. dollars in the country, surging 77.8 percent from a year ago. The momentum has continued into 2025, with inbound tourist arrivals rising 19.6 percent year on year in the first quarter, according to Shi Zeyi, an official with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Qin Jing, vice president of Chinese online travel service giant Group, said foreign visitors were venturing beyond metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai to explore destinations like Chengdu, Hangzhou and Xi'an. 'We have seen foreign visitors learning tea-making in Wuyi Mountain and face-changing performance in Chengdu during the May Day holiday,' Qin told the roundtable. Her company's inbound tourist orders more than doubled during the five-day holiday compared to last year. She said is also witnessing a remarkable growth in orders from younger foreign tourists, with the previous demographic aged between 50 and 60. The booming trend of 'China Travel' is built on recent measures such as expanding mutual visa exemptions and unilateral visa-free access, as well as extend visa-free entry stays. As of now, China has established comprehensive mutual visa exemptions with 29 countries, implemented unilateral visa-free policies for 38 countries, and transit visa-free policies for 54 countries. Meanwhile, the country has introduced a package of measures to stimulate inbound spending. Apart from shifting to a refund-upon-purchase model for departure tax refunds, China has also rolled out more policy support, with steps to lower the minimum purchase threshold for refunds, raise the cash refund ceiling and widen the range of products eligible. These policies reflect China's commitment to opening up and could have far-reaching impacts by fostering deeper understanding between China and the international community, and altering stereotypes, said Liu Jia, an official with the National Immigration Administration. 'An open, inclusive, prosperous and safe China is being seen, felt and recognized by the world,' Liu told the roundtable. Tong Xuejun, an official with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said China would negotiate more visa-waiver and visa facilitation agreements, and work to improve the online visa application system for foreign visitors. In the latest move, China announced last week that starting June 1, nationals of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay will be eligible for visa-free entry into China for a trial period ending May 31, 2026. Shi with the culture and tourism ministry said China will work to further improve visa processes, payment systems, travel logistics, and accommodation options for foreign tourists, while providing customized tour packages tailored to diverse groups, including backpackers, business travelers, and senior visitors. To promote inbound spending, China will also open more duty-free shops and broaden the range of goods eligible for instant tax refunds, especially to include high-tech products like smartphones, smartwatches and drones, he added. 'China is welcoming global tourists with greater openness, richer experiences and smarter services,' Shi said, pledging to make China a more captivating world-class tourist destination. – Xinhua China international tourists tourism
